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Giving up on Venice

Giving up on Venice

I wonder if anyone is in the same place that I am. I've just about given up on going to Venice because of the cost. I don't want to pay 200 Euros a night for a flop and all the cheaper places that I checked and that have a good number of recommendations are already booked (Accademia, etc).

Has anyone come up with a strategy to deal with the difficulty of getting a decent price hotel room in Venice?

We stayed at Locanda San Barnaba in March for $125 a night for a very nice sized room in a charming older palazzo which had been completely remodeled without sacrificing its historical roots. It included breakfast, there was a vaporetto stop maybe 50' down the "street", it's in Dorsoduro, and there were fantastic restaurants within 3-5 blocks of it. The website is www.locanda-sanbarnaba.com.

Locanda Casa Petrarca (Calle degli Schiavini, 4386 - telefax +39 041 5200430). "Very small and cozy" pensione (7 rooms), 200mts off San Marco square. Tiled floor rooms are big (for Venice standards) and clean. There's no breakfast room but it can be arranged to be served in the room. Manager/owner Nelli speaks English. Reserve well in advance and be sure to reconfirm a couple of days before you get there. Pensione recommended by Rick Steves. Best call in the mornings or evenings to catch Nelli at the pension. "Hello Italy" book says "basic hotel with simply furnished small rooms with nice bathrooms some have views of the canal no elevator, two floors, vaporetto Rialto."

Albergo Corona. Fodor's Forum, from December 2000: "a Ricks pick. Its funny how steps seem endless when you are lugging your stuff  four flights, which is just a hop and a skip once youve dumped your stuff. I think I am the first person to have anything to say about this place, on this board, so here goes: The single room was small (93 by 77 ) but VERY clean, VERY well located, and VERY cheap. 75K lire for a single room, bathroom with tub & shower next door, 5 minutes from Piazza San Marco, just over a bridge into the Castello sestiere.

Albergo Doni (Calle del Vin, San Marco 4656, tel/fax +39 041 522 4267). A friend used it and would use it again. 12 dim, but large, classy and airy rooms in a rather "dark", clean, quiet building. Also recommended by Rick Steves.

Dear Dorothy - do NOT give up - Venice is fabulous, magical and well worth any and all trouble you take to visit. If Hotel American is quoted too high for you, try a place over on Lido called Hotel le Boulevard. Lido's not inconvenient, and it's very very quiet, and this hotel was very reasonable, extremely comfortable, and (when I had catastrophic food poisoning) they were nicer than my mother might have been! Keep trying - and keep posting questions - but don't give up!

Dorothy- Venice is really worth the effort. I've read a lot about staying in convents there, even went so far as to book one but the trip didn't work out and had to cancel. However, it was easy to do and maybe they will have room for you if you want to try it...Casa Cardinal Piazza, FAX: 041/720233 110,000 Lira for a double with breakfast as of 8/9/00. Also, there are many posts on this board about staying in convents if you do a search you might come up with something. Don't mean to sound pushy, but Venice is so special.

Try Hotel Florida-I've stayed there twice and found it perfect for us. It's not fancy but it's clean and easy to find. I actually like the location down a quiet alley near the Rail Station (i.e. easy to get to with luggage and easy to get to the Vaparetto stop). I find part of the fun everyday was either walking or taking the vaparetto "to" the main sights. Venice is for wandering, so does it really matter where you stay? Stayed there last year with my parents and sister, they found it "charming". Also have stayed at Hotel Ai due Fanali and liked it though a bit more. Don't miss Venice, and IMHO to really enjoy it you MUST spend the night there.

Hi Dorothy! Yes, you do need to make the effort. Try The Albergo Pagganelli. It's just about a block from Piazza San Marco & faces the lagoon. It's nothing fancy, but pure Venecian with traditional decor and breakfast included. Very helpful staff. they have about 4 rooms that face the lagoon, doubles, singles with or without private bath.

I paid $110 US in May 2000 for a single with private bath. No view but I only used the room to sleep so that isn't a requirement for me.

Dorothy,don't give up! We stayed on the Lido (Atlanta Augustus)in July, which was perfect for us. Our kids loved the beach, we could take our car with us, and we actually looked forward to the relatively peace and quiet after a day of sightseeing. The hotel was walking distance to the boat stop and it was a 15-minute to 20-minute ride to San Marco.

The above is the URL for an appartment my wife and I have stayed in twice. Its available for Saturday thru saturday stays for $750 or $800 a week. That includes a kitchen and a small balcony. It is in the area by the Rialto fish market which is close to the Rialto, San Marco and several vaporetto stops. But it in not in a touristed district. Paola is the owner and rental agent. She also has other apartments she rents. I'd give them a try if the stay limitation is not too difficult to work around/meet

try to connect yourself on www.veniceinfo.it should help you... moreover think to stay in Lido ( a Venetian island ) very well served by the public transportation . It takes 15 minutes by boat from Lido to San marco... hotel panorama or villa laguna or hotel boulevard ... they are hotels very near to the boat stop from Venice.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have checked many, but still no joy. Many were already booked. I think that many people who stayed ijn Venice 2 years ago, do not appreciate how much prices have risen since then. Lido was a not substantially cheaper, especially when factoring the time and travel costs. I would also would never simply book a hotel based on marketing on the web. I'd have to to know that real people found it OK. So I'm not going to simply cruise Chamingvenice or venere.

It's not really the amount of money that I find appalling. It's what you get. I would consider 200 Euros for a splurge, but not just for a so-so hotel. (I stay in plenty of those on business.) And sure, I could find place for 150 Euros if looked hard enough, but it would be a dungeon. My scale of value just would ot let me do that.